Everyone has heard of the aristocratic appearance. Many can even say with confidence whether this or that person has it. But few people are capable of giving this concept an exact definition. This is not surprising, because even modern social scientists, until very recently, could not do this. However, after several years of research, a more or less precise definition of the concept of "aristocratic appearance" was nevertheless highlighted. Of course, there are still disagreements and inaccuracies in it, but it is only a matter of time. And now all those who are interested can satisfy their curiosity and find out what she is - the appearance of an aristocrat?
Myths about nobles
It should be noted right away that not all people of noble origin have a noble appearance. On the contrary - often the most great and "well-born" representatives of the human race have the most ordinary appearance, often even with some deformities. The reason for this is the concern for the so-called "purity of blood", because of which a couple could be selected for the groom or the bride for reasons not of health, and even less of appearance, but of the prominence of the clan. At times, family marriages were also concluded, which, of course, had a negative impact on the children born in them.
Aristocratic appearance: signs
Nowadays, nobility and sophistication can be found in a wide variety of people. The main features of an aristocratic appearance are as follows:
Behavior
But, of course, an aristocratic appearance is created not only by the above signs, but also by the manner in which one behaves. True nobility is given to a person only by a straight posture, a proudly raised head, a direct gaze, grace of movement and politeness.
"Lunar features"
Like any other desire for the best, aristocracy had its drawbacks. So, for quite a long time, "lunar features" were extremely popular - fullness combined with huge pale eyes, too thin a rounded face. But, contrary to the opinion of the majority, this was not a breakthrough and not the result of carefully calculated marriages, but a genetic defect that arose as a result of sexual relations between close relatives.
Bastards
Surprisingly, but some people, even in those ancient times, understood that excessive pallor, weakness and obvious inability to physical labor is not good, and sought to bring "fresh" blood into their family, entering into intimate contact with people of "lower" origin ... Thus, bastards appeared - nobles, whose aristocratic appearance puzzled many. Well, if a well-known parent recognized such descendants, then they qualitatively improved their kind.
An interesting experiment was conducted in ru-royalty: http://ru-royalty.livejournal.com/4311223.html
Photos have been specially modified so as not to google them.
In general, it turned out to be difficult with "guessing games". People recognized the noblewoman in only one of the ladies represented.
And you ask yourself - is there even such a thing as "aristocratic appearance"? Does a nobleman have any special external features by which he can be immediately identified in a crowd?
From the literature we see that noblemen and noblewomen, as well as those who are considered as such, have the following specific characteristics:
- general thinness and slenderness, which is especially pronounced in women (those still have small breasts or hips, a "model" figure)
- height above average
- thin long fingers (by all means)
- long legs
- small feet and small palms
- pallor
- narrow or oval face
- small mouth, narrow lips
- large round eyes (or, alternatively, almond-shaped)
- contrasting, bright appearance (if a brunette, then light skin is "attached", a blond is also not blond and eyeless, namely, that "golden" hair and eyebrows with eyelashes are darker than the hair on the head; redheads are in the minority, although there are a lot of them in life nobles meets)
- a long narrow nose, often with a hump / "aquiline", often quite noticeable on the face (especially in men)
- in general, "aristocratic beauty" meant first a similarity with the busts of patricians and emperors of the ancient era, then a kind of conditionally "Nordic" appearance, now - a similarity with the elves in the description of Tolkien.
Perhaps, from the entire list, pallor and thin fingers with a small palm are justified, as well as a fragile figure - as an indicator that a person does not engage in physical labor, but now, when fewer and fewer people are engaged in physical labor in the Western world, it becomes incomprehensible. Pallor, by the way, in the 20th century disappeared from the definition of "aristocracy", as it began to show precisely that ill health and confinement to a machine in a factory throughout the day, while a rich man / nobleman could "hang on a yacht for two weeks" without any reproach of conscience and get a nice bronze tan. Or the same "weakness" - for women, maybe yes, but aristocrats sometimes served in the army, and there the suffocated person would quickly stretch his legs, that is, the noble men had some muscles ( perhaps not the ones that are now building up in the gym, but in order to fight hand-to-hand, carry ammunition, swing a saber or sword, overcome a bunch of miles on horseback or on foot). And in the same 20th century - and now - muscle building has also become an indicator of the upper class - there is money and time for the gym and playing sports.
Signs of "aristocracy" and the ideal of beauty very rarely converge at some decisive points. For example, a pale, fragile aristocrat in the 19th century is good to marry and please relatives, but they will admire a puffy commoner who plays Phaedro on the stage (for example). See Metternich, who married a fragile little elf, and slept with everyone in a row (but his appearance, apparently, was not particularly important, interesting and novelty are more important, because among his mistresses there are ladies of absolutely all types of appearance and characters: brunettes , blondes, brown-haired women, redheads, plump, thin, medium, undersized, tall, smart, fools, bitches, docile doves, etc.).
In addition, the signs of aristocracy that I have listed are all for white Caucasians. The Eastern Asian peoples will have them somewhat different (however, their pallor is not even a sign of aristocracy, it is a sign of beauty). I suspect that African, Creole and other peoples also consider aristocratic something of their own, different from ours (they have their own nobles and nobles, too). And it doesn't necessarily mean blood. Take, for example, the ruling dynasty of the Netherlands. We see rather "round", plump people, snub-nosed, cheeky. No "elfism", and, by the way, in the veins of the former Queen Beatrix and her son King Willem-Alexander flows almost no blood of German, British and Russian aristocratic and ruling houses, diluted by "common" infusions.
My GG falls under the stereotype of an "aristocrat-true Aryan", like all his relatives - it just so happened, but this is rather a feature of his nationality than a feature of his origin (and then, one of the portraits of his mother can serve as an "anti-example" of the thesis about the fact that the origin is visible on the face; although, I suspect that it is unlikely to be her portrait, because in order to differ so much in appearance from your own children, the children must be "really" non-native, but there is not the same the case - either, if "that", then some Mexican TV series or Bollywood movie will turn out). In this sense, a lot of people are rushing around me on bicycles now, at him (or his wife (I know a lot of such "dorots" here) and other relatives) who look like one way or another - whatever you want, northern Europe, "Varangians", but we have a country in which the nobility has always been very tight. But, for example, the late Alan Rickman (the eternal Snape / Snape), who had the same type of appearance as Christoph von Lieven (I remember which of the "uninitiated" I showed the portrait of GG, everyone exclaimed - "Yes, it's Snape!"), was from the British proletariat, the lords did not spend the night there. Another eloquent example is Tikhonov, who was put to play either the Aryan "obermensch" and the pure-blooded Prussian aristocrat Otto von Stirlitz, or the prince from Rurikovich. Also from "very simple". There are plenty of those who can be considered people of "aristocratic appearance" among Jews (especially Ashkenazim) and Arabs.
So, apparently, aristocracy should be observed in action - how a person behaves, what manners he has, the way to behave, to speak. And in such situations, pedigree often becomes unimportant - if a person has been taught certain manners, it can be seen; if special values are shared in his family - and their formulation is still waiting in the wings - then it becomes unimportant how noble ancestors are listed in the genealogy.
But the stereotype "the aristocrat has a certain appearance" is tenacious. When I was in the States, I had one companion and girlfriend. A very kind, cool person, now married to a Serb living in the United States. A beautiful girl, yes - I copied Erica von Levenstern's appearance from her (and partly the character, however, the "original" has everything much better in life). A slender, fairly regular face, a dark brown-haired woman with gray eyes, the same "thin bone" and height above 175 cm. But there are many of them. Then she said that in her ancestors she had very small-scale noblemen of the Tambov province, moreover, they became nobles at the end of the 19th century (one of the ancestors served as a hereditary one). Well, of the very simple nobles, such in that province there were ten bundles each, they were not even caught by the Bolsheviks - they did not pull the "oppressors of the working people", the names do not say anything at all. And I catch myself thinking that I think "I understand, the breed is there," and another friend of ours even voiced this aloud to her boyfriend there: "S. is of a noble origin so she is so beautiful and refined". Like this.
The aristocrats in Russia were shot down a hundred years ago, but in a capitalist society it is impossible without them.
Society cannot do without the elite - or so it is believed. The cattle should be equal to someone, therefore, without moral guidelines, it will completely become cattle.
Who is claiming the vacant role of the modern aristocracy? As the saying goes, whoever dares ate it! Every horse now fancies himself a thoroughbred.
I carefully studied the market for new aristocrats and systematized their characteristics.
1. The aristocrat despises cattle. He calls cattle those who work. Thoroughbred individuals cannot afford this even a day in their lives, and at the initial stage they consider themselves creative individuals, because they are idlers.
Sooner or later, their creative search leads them to the TNT channel, and after participating in the TV project House 2, an almost accomplished aristocrat dashingly rides at corporate parties, amusing the people with freaks.
Photo: od.ua
The people, of course, are despised at the same time. Well, if you've forgotten - you're a trash!
2. The aristocrat loves to travel. As before - to Cannes, because you can't fly to Turkey by charter. All who have not been to France, the aristocrat calls cattle and despises. The aristocrat recognizes everyone who was in France as an equal.
Even if the resident of Provence and Provence is a completely drunken glutton.
Photo: kp.ru
An aristocrat arrives in Russia only to hold another corporate party. Realize, so to speak, your inner creativity.
As soon as an aristocrat enters his native land - Sheremetyevo, terminal D - he immediately makes a goat's face. There are trash around!
3. The aristocrat always puts on new clothes. The thing must be designer, even if bought on the market.
Photo: Social networks
If an aristocrat is caught there, he must sit in a Mercedes hired for the occasion and declare it his own.
4. You are all stupid, and the aristocrat graduated from the Russian State University for the Humanities.
By the way, nobody saw Buzova's diploma. Photo: Social networks
5. The aristocrat despises Orthodoxy, because in Europe traditional values are not held in high esteem.
Photo: Social networks
He brings the light of enlightenment to the trash - homosexuality, multiculturalism and in general.
6. And, by the way, about values. Against the family, the aristocrat pisses, but in marriage he is depraved. An aristocrat always has several lovers, and before marriage, at least a hundred sexual partners.
Photo: Social networks
An aristocrat cannot conceive a child from a legal spouse. He needs drama, intrigue and mystery in his life. Again, alimony can be shaken off someone by blackmail.
7. But the main feature of any aristocrat is that he cannot live without his people. The cattle should stare at him, discuss lovers, shake up panties and bras to his idol, and he is happy.
Photo: Social networks
Such a need for an aristocrat in the people ends, as a rule, badly. When a horse falls, it is shot and allowed to eat. The people are wild and very hungry.
8. An aristocrat, if he gets a pepelats with a flashing light, has no right to deny himself to move in it. Let the mother's car, or she pumped it, the thoroughbred mare must designate its place in it.
9. Of course, the real aristocracy cannot withdraw from political life. Sometimes she is taken to the Duma if she has the skills to lick ass with bear disease, and if some horse is not taken, she goes to huddle the protest electorate.
Photo: Social networks
10. The description of an aristocrat can be completed only with folk wisdom: from rags to riches. Fortunately, only they themselves consider them aristocracy. For all other people, they are a real cattle.
What am I doing? Oh yes: who do you consider the elite of society?
The nobles, considering themselves a noble class, in every possible way emphasized their difference from the common people, be it in dress, manners, tastes. They argued that even by facial features, one can immediately distinguish a noble person from a simple peasant. Was it really so?
Some people have heard: "aristocratic appearance", "thoroughbred face." These concepts, for example, are often found in the pages of historical novels. But what are they?
The aristocrats, as already mentioned, were very proud of their chosenness and in every possible way distanced themselves from the people of the lower classes. Therefore, they entered into marriage only with representatives of their class.
There were only rare exceptions to this rule, for example, one can recall the love story of a noble aristocrat Count Sheremetev and the serf actress Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, his future wife.
And since there were, of course, much less noble people than ignoble people, very many nobles were with each other in a degree of kinship, sometimes very close. In these cases, the likelihood of various genetic diseases increases sharply, leading to characteristic changes in appearance: thin facial features, pallor of the skin.
Judging by the surviving portraits of many representatives of hereditary noble families of the 18th-19th centuries, as well as the beginning of the 20th century, they were characterized by such facial features as a thin nose, a sharp chin, thin lips and that notorious pale skin. It was these faces that were considered correct among the nobles.
Since the science of genetics arose only at the end of the 19th century, they simply did not know about such a danger of closely related marriages.
The representatives of the upper class were still living people, and nothing human was alien to them. As a result, many illegitimate children were born in noble families. They inherited family titles, coats of arms, but received an influx of fresh blood, with all genetic characteristics, including those related to appearance.
In addition, Peter the Great made it possible for many people of low class to become hereditary nobles. To do this, in the military service it was enough to receive the rank of the lowest, XIV class, and in the civilian - VIII. As a result, the noble class soon expanded significantly at the expense of people from the common people. In such cases, it was simply ridiculous to talk about “thoroughbred persons”.
First, it should be noted that not always, people of noble birth, have an aristocratic appearance
Georg GROOT Portrait of Tsarevich Peter Fedorovich and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna. 1740th.
And the fact that an aristocratic appearance is not synonymous with ideal beauty.
I.P. Argunov. Portrait of Countess V.A. Sheremetyeva. 1746. State Tretyakov Gallery
In addition, among the aristocrats, family marriages were not uncommon.
The royal dynasties are a striking historical example of the unfavorable influence of kinship marriages on offspring.
Charles II became the last representative of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty, having lived 39 years and left no heirs.
One more aspect. Aristocratic appearance is, first of all, a breed! Metis, will no longer be a carrier of either breed or aristocratic appearance. Although, among such people, there are true aristocrats).
O. A. Kiprensky Portrait of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The origin of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin comes from the ramified, untitled noble family of the Pushkins. The poet has repeatedly written about his genealogy in poetry and prose; he saw in his ancestors an example of an ancient family, a true "aristocracy" that honestly served the fatherland, but did not win the favor of the rulers and was "persecuted." More than once he turned (including in an artistic form) to his image maternal great-grandfather - African Abram Petrovich Hannibal, who became a servant and pupil of Peter I, and then a military engineer and general
Probably because the royal courts are so jealous of marriage). See the Buckingham Palace family All over the place, aristocratic people!)
Franz Wintelhalter. Portrait of Queen Victoria, 1844-45
And yet, about the conclusions of scientists.
The main features of an aristocratic appearance are as follows:
Long face with a high, straight forehead,
thin nose - perfectly flat or with a slight hump;
big enough eyes,
thin eyebrow line, narrow chin;
hair - any color, but always healthy, well-groomed, shiny, eyelashes and eyebrows - dark, ideally black;
graceful physique, giving the impression of sophistication even in the case of overweight;
long arms and legs, hands and feet are miniature, with thin fingers, nails are almond-shaped;
very light thin skin, pale or with a pinkish tinge, always clean and smooth; correct proportions of face and body.
==============================================
I think that the presence of dark eyebrows and eyelashes with gray hair has no basis at all. There are many examples of this. One of the true aristocrat Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. And hair, and eyebrows, and mustache, and beard ..... gray).
